Cassie and the Aliens
by Ted Sadler
Summary: Cassie Fraiser is coming of age, but only one person close to her seems to realise. A family tale starring Jack, Cassie and a cast of dozens!
1. Chapter 1

**Essential Foreword**

For some time, I have wanted to make the loudest SG-1 tale in existence. This is an **interactive** story that won't make much sense unless you can hear the sounds at the right times. So, please do the following in preparation:

Open a second tab in your browser.

Open YouTube in the second tab, and turn off Auto repeat.

When you see words in square brackets like this in each chapter [Hello World], you will find a collection of letters and numbers after the brackets, like this: v=RVWBJDs3lk4 . Make a note of them and enter them exactly like that into the search box on YouTube. (The Fanfiction site does not permit Copy and Paste).

Play the track (at a reasonable volume if you can, as I have made some effort to find the best sound quality tracks) and switch back to the story tab to continue reading.

If you are unlucky enough to find a track blocked due to copyright restriction in certain countries, keep searching for another version of it – it's usually on there somewhere! If not, you may have to look on another music web site.

Try not to start going clicking on the suggestions on the right hand side of the YouTube pages – a whole evening can disappear before you know it!

All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp, Double Secret productions and others. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Chapter 1: The Mentor

"Cassie!" came the tormented cry. "For crying out loud! I can hear that racket from the lakeshore! It's scaring the fish away and I'm losing the will to live!"

Sighing heavily in the time-honoured way of teen drama queens, and then smiling momentarily as she recognised the silliness of it, Cassie fingered the "Off" button without looking, and after a few moments admitted to herself that the sudden silence was, after all, a relief from the drivel that had been pouring out from Jack's portable, super-quality hi-fi system. She rose from the sofa and walked through the open door into bright sunlight.

As her eyes adjusted, she looked across to the pier at one of the few people left in this world that she still trusted completely and noticed, not for the first time, how tired he looked as he lay back on the lounger with his eyes closed. The fishing rod propped beside him remained in the same position as the last time she'd looked out two hours ago, undisturbed by any passing, supposedly inquisitive fish. His hair seemed even more grey than in her normal mental picture of him, and come to think of it, there were more lines in his face too.

She wondered whether to approach or just leave him in peace a while longer, but he seemed to sense that she had come outside and rose to the sitting position with a faint groan. He opened the cooler box at his side and held up two bottles of orange juice, inviting her to join him.

Cassie smiled in return and ambled over, taking a seat beside him on the lounger and clinking her bottle against his before drinking. His next words surprised her somewhat.

"When I was a teenager in the 'sixties, our parents despaired of our tastes in music." said Jack gently. "And don't look at me like that, Cassie. I _was_ a teenager just like you, once. Elvis, Eddie Cochrane, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones were gods and guys like me drooled over Connie Francis and Brenda Lee. The only way to listen was at maximum decibels."

Smiling at her frown, he continued "My folks idolised the musicians of their own youth like Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby, and could only tolerate small doses of my music, and only if it wasn't blasting their ears off. I couldn't stand their tastes and of course rebelled by turning up the volume on the gramophone in my bedroom even louder."

"What's a gramophone?" interjected Cassie.

"Kind of a dinosaur-age music player." Jack explained. "Anyhow, it all came to a head one night when I bad-mouthed my mom and pa when they objected, and slammed the bedroom door so's I could listen in peace. The next thing I knew, pa burst into the room, hauled me down the stairs and into the yard. He slapped me so hard on the side of my head that I fell down and saw stars."

Cassie gasped and looked at him aghast, but Jack just grinned at her.

"He didn't do that kind of thing often, but kids getting straightened out like that wasn't uncommon then. Nowadays pa would go to jail, more like." he added. "Then he took my player and records and locked them in the trunk of his car. I kept saying I was sorry and I wouldn't ever play them loud again, but he just told me that I could forget about it as he was going to dump them."

"So that was the end of your favourite music, then?" asked Cassie.

"Not exactly. He didn't dump my stuff of course, and gave it all back a few months later, after I'd been 'educated' in what music really is." Jack's steady gaze seemed to be focussed on infinity, and a gentle smile crept across his face at the memories.

"Jack, you are getting to be the master of the anti-climax!" Cassie said laughingly. "So?"

"Come with me." replied Jack, easing himself off the lounger.

Cassie followed him across the grass and back into the cabin. He asked her to wait and disappeared into the back room, but emerged moments later carrying a lightweight stepladder, which he proceeded to extend and rest against the edge of the mezzanine roof gallery, under the eaves.

"I'm going to hand down a few things to you, OK?" he explained. "Then we'll talk." He climbed up and crawled off to one side, out of her direct view.

The scrapings of who-knows-what being moved around, accompanied by frequent grunts, thumps and one "Oh, shoot!" filtered down, and Cassie mounted the first few steps to get a better view of proceedings. As her head appeared above the top of the ladder, Jack pushed two cardboard boxes towards her, and turned around to retrieve something else.

"They're not heavy, but take one at a time, please." he requested, and saw that she made light work of them. Then he descended himself, clutching a large soft, black case, handing it to her as he made to lower the ladder and return it to the back of the house.

Cassie sat back on the sofa and undid the two case straps, drawing out an old, but obviously well-preserved guitar. Jack soon re-joined her and smiled as she passed it to him.

"I'm guessing that your father gave you this?" she enquired. "To 'educate' you?"

"Exactly so." he said. "We weren't well off, and it was second hand when he gave it to me. He paid for a few music lessons as well. He wouldn't put up with the sound of me practising in the house for long, though, so I spent a lot of time in the garage and when we came to the cabin, I'd hike a mile or so up the lake and serenade the ducks from there."

"Do you still play? Are you planning to teach me?" Cassie wasn't sure whether to show enthusiasm or not.

"Haven't picked it up in years, so relax." said Jack. "It wasn't in great condition when I last used it, and this isn't the best place to store a wooden instrument for years on end. But I keep it for the memories, and it's how I learned that really good music isn't necessarily what's popular, or what gets played all the time. It can come from all ages and cultures, and you can get a real buzz from trying it for yourself – especially if you can do it well."

He placed the instrument to one side, and turned to her. "Do you like what you were listening to when I complained?"

Cassie thought for a moment before replying. "Not really. But it's what nearly everyone at college is into, and I still need to _not_ stand out as 'different', for obvious reasons." She sighed and leaned back. "Sometimes, I can still hear the Hankan music I grew up with in my head. Just every now and then, some Earth sound or other brings on the memories, and I wish I could sing those songs out loud."

"Well then," said Jack softly, "with just the two of us here, you're in the right place to sing whatever you want. Whenever."

"Really?" she smiled. "And you're sure we can't be heard?"

"Nope. I know that for sure, because no-one I know round here has ever complained about my singing." he replied. "My specialty is opera, and in my head I sound just like Pavarotti or Caruso at La Scala in Milan, but it's not a talent that's been acknowledged to exist by others across the galaxy."

"Here's the deal. You make coffee for us while I tune up. You've never tried to play a musical instrument yourself?" Seeing her head shake, he continued "No bother. But I'd like you to listen to some of my CDs, just to hear different kinds of music. I don't expect you'll get into most of it, and you don't need to persevere with anything you can't stand. But if you do find a song or artist you like, just have a go yourself. OK?"

Cassie's smile and nod of the head didn't somehow convey total acquiescence, but she moved off to the kitchen and took down the coffee pot from the shelf. Discordant notes and mutterings from the sofa were not the stuff of inspiration either, but she knew that Jack was doing what he always did - making an effort on her behalf, and so she was determined to give back her best in return. The welcome thought of being able to sing her oft-remembered childhood songs out loud was foremost in her mind, though.

As the notes from Jack's guitar slowly approached a recognisable scale, she returned with two cups of coffee and placed them carefully on the low table. Jack beamed at her when he saw the slices of rich fruit cake that accompanied them.

"Right." sighed Jack. "Prepare to be underwhelmed.", drawing a genuine grin from Cassie. "This was a hit in the seventies by James Taylor. He's still out there today doing live performances, and unlike me, he sounds even better these days than back then. It's called 'Fire and Rain'. I learned to play it when I was serving in Vietnam, because it seemed to be about my life at the time."

[ James Taylor Fire and Rain ] v=wSqT_PeiV0U

Cassie inhaled sharply in surprise as Jack played the opening chords. As he started singing, slightly off-key for a moment before he got into his stride, her mouth opened in anticipation, and she leant back in her chair as he closed his eyes and put his heart into it. It certainly was nothing like she had heard at school or college, but this was her Uncle Jack! He didn't even need to look at the instrument as he played.

"Wow! Just, wow!" she exclaimed as the last chords died away. She got up and moved to sit beside him on the sofa. "That was fantastic!" she added, squeezing his left arm and leaning in. "Don't kid yourself that you can't sing, either."

"I can't!" he laughed. "I can get away with it in a soft folk song like that, but not when it matters in public. Anyhow, The SGC wouldn't appreciate it. The acoustics there are crap."

"Another song, please?" asked Cassie, making puppy eyes.

"Not right now. It's your turn." Seeing her puzzled look, he added "I'll show you the best place down the lakeside to hear your own voice being reflected back. Then I want to hear something from your homeland. Maybe after supper we can both try something more."

"Only if I can hear you singing across the lake as well." she replied quickly, attempting to cover a certain, sudden nervousness.

-xxx-

Thirty minutes later, in the still of the late afternoon, Cassie stood at the water's edge and broke into a gentle, lilting refrain that drifted across the surface of the lake, and returned teasingly to somehow underline the sound coming directly from herself. Jack sat nearby on a fallen trunk, relaxed and smiling. It had so been worth countering the arguments she had put up on the walk here. As the song came to an end, he gently applauded and stood up to hug her.

"Now that's real talent." he said softly. His tone showed her that he was nothing but sincere, and she hugged him back. "It sounded a little like a song on one of my CDs – we can play it later if you want?"

She nodded her agreement and stood back and looked about her. "Thanks, Jack. I'd like that. And you're sure no-one can hear us?" At his nod, she stood back and pulled him by the hand. "Come on, I'm getting hungry. You promised you'd sing too, remember?"

"I'll take a rain check on that." he replied swiftly. "Need to tune up myself first! Straight up, Cass, you have one of the most beautiful singing voices I've ever heard, and I won't spoil the moment. Maybe tomorrow."

As they strolled back to the cabin, Jack took the opportunity to explore something she had said earlier.

"Cass, how well is your background story about being brought up in Canada holding up? How careful do you really have to be?" he asked gently.

"Oh, it's not so bad." she replied. "I pronounce and spell occasional words the Canadian way, and use the metric system quite a bit to keep the cover, and nobody seems any the wiser. It's just that there's an undercurrent of jibes about immigrants taking jobs and living on 'our' money from a handful of guys around the campus. They hand out leaflets ranting about patriotism and duty from time to time, but I'm hardly their main target. Most students don't think that way at all, and I feel quite safe."

"Good. Good." Jack mused. "But you'll let me know if anyone starts getting aggressive or nosy?"

"Of course." said Cassie straight away. "Is that likely? And why do you ask?"

"I'm just a little sensitive about the topic. I was out with Teal'c one evening recently and had to stop him flattening someone who started on the usual immigrants and racial abuse tack." He saw her consternation and continued, "He's getting frustrated living on base all the time and I'm trying to get him out more often."

They walked on a while before Cassie took a deep breath to ask the other question on her mind.

"Jack, look, tell me to butt out if you want, but you do look so tired these days. You're not ill, are you? You've got me worried."

He thought for a few moments before answering. "You know not to breathe a word about what I say, don't you?" Seeing her nod, he explained "Commanding the SGC folk and dealing with all the day-to-day stuff in the mountain isn't all that different to what I've been used to these past years. Frustrating, annoying, repetitive, occasionally stressful, but immensely satisfying when things go well, and George Hammond was a saint for doing it as well as he did. I'll never match his track record.

But I get called to Washington around twice a month now, and that's downright soul-destroying at times. There's two kinds of people in the Pentagon – those who had lengthy military or business experience, have lead others and faced the challenges that come up. I get on with most of those.

A few others seem to be administrators and bureaucrats whose exposure to real life seems to have been minimal, to put it kindly. And then there's the politicians and their staffs. A lot of them only seem interested in advancing their own careers, or in being seen to do the bidding of their party lords and masters. The younger assistants are the worst - they've come out of business schools with huge egos and a firm belief that complex spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations are all that's needed to manage anything. We get lectured at with fantastically complicated charts – maybe you've seen this kind of thing in college?"

At the shake of her head, he continued, "Well, I hope you never do. George Hammond stays on top of it because he has Paul Davies to run interference and provide him with his own personal pre-meeting summaries of what's coming up. Paul has a handle on these things, and I don't have that luxury before leaving The Springs, and he can't always get to me before we go into meetings.

The assistants talk numbers from spreadsheets _ad nauseam_ and use mnemonics for subjects that seem to change every 3 months or so. Sometimes I haven't a clue what they're talking about, and by the time I've caught up for the next meeting, they're onto a different tack.

Most of the Senators, on the other hand, like to ask questions about operations in a manner that means you're screwed whatever your answer is. The only time they're nice is when they're angling for jobs or money for their own districts. I tell you Cass, sometimes there's more support from the international delegates than our own people. I hate it, and I don't know how George can stand it."

As they neared the cabin, Jack sighed and laughed softly. "Sorry I unloaded on you like that, Cass. I know it's the way of the world these days, but you've got to wonder." He brightened up. "That's why you need an interest outside of work to stay sane, believe me. In my case, it's music and amateur – _very amateur_ – astronomy."

"Fishing?" she queried.

"That's therapy more than a hobby!" He paused a while, and added, "One more thing I want to say, though. I'll help you in whatever way you need to get through college and find a job that satisfies you. That's my other interest in life now. The rest is up to you."

"Thanks, Jack. I won't let you down, I promise." said Cassie softly, choking up slightly, and not knowing what else to say. She stayed quiet as the realisation dawned upon her that, although she was over the worst of the shock and mourning after her mother's death, she could now start to look forward to the future again. To quite what, she wasn't sure, but it was a start.

As usual after supper, Cassie preferred the soft light from Jack's ancient oil lamps to his small but bright electric lights run from the storage battery, now fully-charged from day-long sunlight on the roof solar panels. He had assured her that the hi-fi would run for a few hours if necessary, and so she had asked to hear the song that sounded like her earlier performance by the lake.

Together they searched through the CD collection until she came across the artist he had mentioned, and she offered it to him to place in the machine.

"Kathleen Ferrier sung opera and traditional folk songs in the nineteen fifties." he explained. "Her voice was 'contralto' and I've loved 'Blow The Wind Southerly' since I first heard it in the 'seventies." He selected the track, sat back and closed his eyes in anticipation.

[ Kathleen Ferrier Blow The Wind Southerly ] v=dXQuaq_2icU

A slight sniff from Cassie as the song came to a close alerted him suddenly, and he was surprised to see tears glistening on her cheeks.

"Oh, Cassie! I'm so sorry. Has it upset you?" he asked gently.

She shook her head and wiped the back of her hand across her face.

"No, not that!" she said, smiling at him. "It's just like my mother's voice on Hanka, I swear. I thought I'd never hear the sound again. I can't tell you how much it means."

"Well, OK then." said Jack, much relieved.

He didn't know just when he had fallen asleep during the evening, listening contentedly as Cassie delved into his music collection. When he awoke to the sight and sound of the oil lamp quietly guttering in the early hours, he was alone in the lounge. He gathered that Cassie must have switched hoped that she would be sufficiently absorbed in the music for the next day or so to avoid boredom.

What an underestimation that turned out to be.

-xxx-


	2. The Debut

Chapter 2: The Debut

A new routine had developed by Thursday, the fourth day of their stay at the cabin. Jack had finished his regular after-breakfast satellite phone call to Colonel Reynolds and his aide Walter Harriman the SGC, and was grateful that no major situation had yet arisen that would entail his rapid return.

For the third day running, Cassie had already set off along the lakeshore for her 'morning session' of singing across the water. Yesterday Jack had offered to accompany her, but she explained that she'd rather practice a little on her own before feeling confident enough for an audience. He hadn't been able to resist surreptitiously following after half an hour, stopping within earshot but well out of sight.

He had stayed there in the undergrowth a little longer than he expected, mesmerised by the range and power of her voice, and the repertoire of alien and domestic tunes. She seemed to be able to pick up a new sound almost immediately, and then deliver the song with relish, sometimes exactly like the original, or else with her own interpretation. Just as quietly, he had made his way back to the cabin and tried to appear nonchalant when she subsequently returned.

On arrival back by his seat on the dock, she seemed more relaxed and happy than she had been all week. Noticing the case for his satellite phone nearby, she felt obliged to ask the daily question, "Colorado still in one piece?", but didn't wait for a reply.

"Well, I found it!" she exclaimed. His quizzical expression had hardly formed before she added, "An interest outside of work to keep me going, just like you said the other day."

"Fishing? he teased.

"Yeah, right." she laughed. "That, and music, of course."

"Of course." he nodded. "Feel like singing for me yet?

"What, like yesterday when you were sneaking around, you mean?" Her raised eyebrow was a passable imitation of their Jaffa friend's, but Jack just smiled.

"Yeah, why not? Sorry, Jack, but I thought before we left that I was going to be bored out of my mind this week, but this is great. More than great – I love it."

The germ of an idea was forming in his mind and he hesitated, but then decided to just go for it.

"Cass, we both know that you're a natural at this, and if you don't like the idea, I'm not pushing." He paused but was encouraged by her inquisitive expression. "I sometimes hang out with a few friends from around here. They're amateur, and I stress _amateur_ musicians – nothing serious, just a few casual tunes and a little traditional jazz. We get together and play a few."

"You said you hadn't played in years!" she interrupted.

"The guitar, no. But I also play the piano from time to time." he confessed. "Not as well as Daniel – did you know Daniel plays a mean sonata?" She shook her head, and he went on, "The only way you can get him to play the upright in the back room of his apartment is to sit down and start to hammer out a tune badly. He soon gives in to that kind of blackmail. He also plays the saxophone, but I didn't tell you that. No-one else at the SGC has seen him do it."

"Jack, my head is exploding. You dish the dirt on him but then tell me I can't use it?" she cried.

"Absolutely not." he responded. "Anyhow, if you want, and only if you want, I can make a call to get the guys together this evening. Then you could sing with real live music, not a record track. Just us, and just for fun, no pressure. Think about it for a while and then let me know."

It didn't take her long. "Hell, let's do it! I've found a couple of songs I really like – will they be able to play them?"

"They will by the end of the evening."

-xxx-

Well, as you know, rehearsals can be chaotic: impromptu sessions in the back room of a country bar/diner even more so, but Cassie's early nerves gradually gave way to amusement and then enjoyment as the evening continued.

Most of this was down to the most organised of the ' _guys'_ – Barbara ("Call me Barb") - talented guitarist, wife of Kurt the trumpet and bass player, driving force behind ' _Kurt's Kosy Cookhouse_ '. After listening on Jack's portable CD machine to the two tracks that Cassie had chosen, she declared that the band would be OK with the jazz number as they had played it before, but the more modern song would need two guitar players as accompaniment.

Jack's protests were of no avail, but subsided when Barb left the room and reappeared after a few moments with an elegant guitar case. She passed this over and gestured for him to open it by nodding. He carefully undid the straps and slowly slid the immaculate instrument out.

"Barb!", he gasped, looking up at her. "A Fender CD-60E? No, I couldn't possibly…"

"Yes you could, and you will." she laughed. "You're forgetting that I first heard you playing nearly forty years ago, before you went to 'Nam, and you've still got two hands and flexible fingers – as I remember to this day." She smiled saucily at him, paused a moment and added, "But you won't have if you don't treat her nice!"

It was nearly midnight when Barb called a halt. She and Cassie had hit it off really well, and so she got no resistance when she linked her arm through Cassie's and pulled her over to Jack, who was chatting with the band members.

"Cassie, you don't need me to tell you that you're a knock-out!" she exclaimed, at which Cassie blushed a little. "So here's the deal. Tomorrow is Friday Night Music in the KK Cookhouse. If we're lucky, the audience may be in double figures! We got some country band playing, but honestly, they ain't that good and they ain't that popular either. But I got 'em booked and so they'll be appearin' anyway."

Cassie's expression suddenly grew more serious, but before she could say anything, Barb continued, "You sing these two numbers during the mid-evening interval, and Jack gets to keep the guitar, so long as he promises to come here and play occasionally. What do you say?"

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Cassie was quicker.

"Deal!" she cried, grinning at Jack.

-xxx-

Jack guessed the reason for Cassie's slightly subdued mood at breakfast the next morning, and it wasn't because they had arrived home after 1am last night.

"Nervous?" he asked gently.

"No." she said instantly. Then, "Yes. How am I going to rehearse before tonight? What am I going to wear?"

"Cass, you don't need to rehearse if you just go at it tonight like you do out on the lakeside." he replied. "And we'll go over to Barb's early evening, where she'll feed us whatever you want, and she'll sort you out what to wear. Back in the day, she was a singer herself and I know she's got everything from check shirts and jeans to evening dresses that'll fit you."

He thought for a moment before asking her to clear up the dishes while he set up his satellite phone. To her surprise, he didn't call the SGC, but another local friend. After a few minutes, he set down the phone and joined her at the kitchen sink.

"How would you like to see the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes?" he asked. "From above?"

"Sounds…. interesting." she replied without conviction, looking back at him.

"That was Rob Furland on the phone, friend of mine. He owns a little airstrip east of here and has a small collection of light planes. If you want, I can fly you round on a sightseeing tour. I need to put in more flight time anyway to keep my private pilot's license, and Rob lets me have the use of his babies from time to time. Forecast for today's weather is good – mostly sun, not too gusty. What do you say?"

-xxx-

Arriving at the hangar a little later than anticipated – Jack's daily call with Walter at the SGC had dragged on over essentials such as whether the current catering supplier's contract should be renewed – a man in greasy overalls, whom Cassie deduced was Rob Furland, appeared at the top of a small platform as he pulled his head out of the open engine cowling of a sturdy-looking biplane and waved to them as they got out of Jack's truck. "Hey, Jack!" he called.

"Hi Rob." Jack called back. "This is my god-daughter Cassie."

Rob briefly extended his hand to her, but suddenly withdrew it and waved instead as he realised that passing on a smear of black oil and grease wouldn't constitute the best of introductions.

"I was getting the Stearman ready for you, but it's leaking oil." said Rob. "I'm sorry, but it's grounded until I can fix it. The good news however is that you can take Grandpa up for a couple of hours if you want, or the Cessna if you prefer."

"Grandpa?" Cassie interjected.

"Jack's favourite." Rob replied. "There's a short training video in the office that you'll need to see first, but no-one has ever bailed out of him in seventy years." He winked at Jack as he said it.

"Grandpa is a nineteen thirties' De Havilland Tiger Moth biplane." Jack explained. "He's the greatest thing I've ever flown in. But if this is your first time in a small plane, then we ought to take the Cessna. It's that yellow and white modern one over there, and you won't be out in the open air."

Cassie couldn't afterwards explain why she did it, when she said, "No, show me Grandpa, please." She thought it was probably because of the fleeting 'small boy trying to hide disappointment' look on Jack's face. That, and she wanted to give something back to him for all that he'd done for her this week.

An hour later she was feeling uncomfortably warm in the sunshine, dressed in a thick, fleece-lined flying jacket and leather helmet. She was surprised to learn that the student/passenger sat in the plane's front seat, the pilot behind. Jack stood on the wing root to help her up, and showed her how to get in, fastening her seat straps. He then made sure her radio headset was working and her flying goggles comfortable, and finally climbed into the rear cockpit himself to go through the same routine.

Cassie saw the joystick between her knees move around as Jack tested the control surfaces and listened to him on the radio going through the final checks and communications with Rob on the ground, ending with, "Switches on. Contact!"

"Contact!" she heard Rob yell back from the front of the plane, and saw him swing the propeller blade around as hard as he could. Smoke sputtered from the exhaust outlets in the sides of the nose and the engine choked a couple of times before taking up a steady rhythm.

After a few minutes of warming up the engine and final checks, Jack called "Chocks away!", crossing his arms in front of his face and then drawing them out sideways.

"Chocks away!" shouted Rob, appearing moments later to the side of the plane, holding up two wooden blocks for Jack to see, each with a short rope attached. He gave a thumbs-up gesture and waved at Cassie, who automatically waved back. The engine note rose briefly to a roar as they moved slowly forward across the grass, zig-zagging so that Jack could see around the nose. He performed a U-turn at the edge of the field and stopped. They waited until Cassie saw a green flare rise up into the sky from near the hangar, fired by Rob.

Jack opened the throttle and Cassie was jolted around as they accelerated across the grass. Soon the vibration ceased and she realised that they had actually left the ground. "Breathe, Cassie." she heard through her earpiece, and laughed as the tension ebbed away. She was mesmerised by the sight of endless trees and hills, but as they continued to climb, the ground seemed flatter and small lakes began to appear, dark grey-green in one direction, but mirror-bright towards the sunny side. The horizon tilted slowly and she realised that they were turning when the shadows of the struts holding the upper wing marched across the fuselage.

The engine note suddenly reduced as Jack explained, "We've stopped climbing now so I've eased off on the gas. We're flying level at five thousand feet heading back toward the cabin. "I'll point it out to you in a few. You feeling OK?" Cassie started to reply, but Jack's voice cut in, "Press the button when you want to talk, remember?"

Fumbling a little in her thick gloves, she found the correct place to push and replied, "Good, thanks. This is incredible, Jack. How do you know where we are? It all looks the same."

"You get to know it after a while." he explained. "I've been flying here for over thirty years on and off, and the lakes have distinctive shapes. But just to reassure you, there's also a GPS fitted in the rear cockpit, something that this plane never had in its heyday. OK, look down over the port wing – the left one, remember? That bent finger shape is our pond. The cabin is on the left shore about a quarter of the way up. See it yet?"

Cassie looked hard and eventually saw it when she stopped squinting. "Got it!"

They flew until the cabin disappeared from view under the wing, when Jack said, "We're going to make a slow turn to the right now, and fly east towards the coast. Now, place your feet on the rudder pedals down in front of you, and hold the joystick gently in your right hand. I'll show you how the controls make the plane move. Keep hold lightly but don't resist the movements I'm making. When I say 'I have control', take your hands and feet away and say 'You have control', OK?"

"OK." she replied tersely. The joystick moved to the right and slightly towards her, and the right-hand rudder pedal angled away a short distance, the left one nearer. Then the stick moved back to the centre, but was still pulled towards her. She saw the horizon inclined at a steady angle and the shadows move slowly across the plane once more.

"See how we keep the nose in line with the horizon?" said Jack. "If we didn't pull the stick back a little in the turn, the nose would drop and we'd start to lose height. When we're facing the direction we want to go, we'll push the stick over to the left until the wings are level again, then centre the pedals and stick."

"Understood, I think." said Cassie. She no longer felt too warm and was glad of the protection provided by her flying clothes in the rushing wind.

"We're flying near the border to your homeland now." said Jack a little later. "It's over on the left. Mustn't get too near – they might think they're being invaded by aliens."

"Funny, Jack." she replied in a deadpan voice, but it was funny too in another sense: she had never actually seen Canada before.

Before long she saw the silver-grey mass of Lake Superior ahead of them. "We're going to make another right turn and fly along the coast for a while." said Jack. "Would you like to take hold of the controls again and follow it through?"

"OK." she replied, placing her hand and feet in position. She felt a little more confident this time and anticipated Jack's movements. The turn wasn't quite as steady, though, and the horizon was definitely above the nose by the time they were flying along the coastline.

"Jack?" she said, suddenly a little nervous.

"Just pull the stick back a little…. That's it. Now you can centre it again. And there we are. You can let go now, I have control. Cassie, congratulations, you just made your first manoeuvre. I had my hand loosely on the stick, but you were moving it."

The minutes ticked by, and Cassie was totally absorbed by the panoramic view of the shoreline, sometimes woody, then rocky, with the occasional small town or hamlet perched on a cliff edge. Just offshore, she found beauty in the patterns on the shallow sea bed before it plunged suddenly into the depths. Jack announced that they were going to make a left turn and fly back just a short distance from the coast before heading back inland. Cassie 'helped' with the controls again, and noticed this time how the pointers on the instrument in front of her marked 'Slip' and 'Turn' responded as they steered the plane round.

"We got company." Jack announced as they flew on. "Below on the right at about four o'clock."

She peered round and caught sight of a bright orange helicopter climbing to their altitude. As it came closer and flew alongside, she saw the US Coast Guard inscription and noticed the pilot smiling and waving cheerily to them, and joined Jack in waving back. The pilot saluted and dived away suddenly, the turbulence from the rotor blades rocking the Tiger Moth from side to side.

"Just checking us out." Jack explained. "Although if the pilot is who I think he is, he was probably checking you out as well."

"Is there anybody in Minnesota you don't know?" laughed Cassie.

"Well, it's a big state, so there must be a few." he replied nonchalantly.

As they flew back inland, Jack showed Cassie how to throttle back the engine and descend until the altimeter showed three thousand feet. "I have control." he then announced. "Let's go surprise Kurt and Barb." He turned again, more sharply this time, and Cassie felt the force pushing her down into her seat as the horizon tilted steeply. Their speed increased and the trees seemed closer than before, until they were flashing past below the wingtips.

"Coming up on your right." he said, hauling back on the stick and pulling another sharp turn to the right this time. The Cookhouse suddenly came into view in a large clearing and Jack continued the tight circle, keeping the building in view past the starboard wingtips. On the second circuit, two figures emerged from the large house behind the restaurant and waved at them, prompting them both once again to return the gesture. After a final pass, Jack waggled the wings and climbed away, levelling out at again three thousand feet.

"Back to base now." he announced, and they flew steadily for a further fifteen minutes. Jack circled the airfield once, looking in all directions to check that no other aircraft were in the vicinity, and cut back the throttle as they descended slowly. With one small bounce, they landed back on the grass strip and turned to taxy to the hangar. As they pulled up just short of the concrete apron, Jack cut the engine and Cassie found her ears ringing in the sudden silence.

Rob appeared holding a camera, and motioned for them to stay in the plane as he took a few shots from different angles. When he had finished, Jack undid his straps and climbed onto the wing to help Cassie out of her seat. As she reached the ground, she spontaneously hugged Jack and to Rob's surprise, did the same to him.

When she found her voice, she was effusive in her thanks. The others beamed back at her and Jack just commented, "We know, Cass. It was just the same for us the first time."

"Too right!" Rob agreed. "You folks can come back any time, you know that, don't you? Jack, I'll email the photos to you tomorrow."

Then Cassie completely surprised Jack with her next statement. "Thanks, Rob. I'm singing a couple of songs at Kurt's Cookhouse this evening, and Jack will be playing. Come along if you can, and I'll dedicate the songs to you for all this!"

'Nerves? What nerves?' thought Jack. 'Mission accomplished!'

-xxx-

Cassie laughed as Barb greeted them with, "Well, if it ain't the two hotshot pilots themselves! Only you would pull a stunt here like that, Jack." As she led them indoors, she and Kurt made them feel welcome, and they talked for around an hour before he disappeared into the kitchen to prepare supper, refusing offers of help. Cassie and Barb left for a tour of the Cookhouse's sound stage, followed by Barb's extensive wardrobe.

Jack sat back in the comfort of the armchair, and couldn't resist closing his eyes – 'just for a few moments', he thought. His last conscious thought for the next half hour was how rapidly Cassie was changing before his eyes from a bored and sometimes resentful teenager into an outgoing young woman with ambition and drive. The sound of Kurt's voice offering him a beer jolted him awake, and supper was a pleasant affair with Cassie sounding relaxed and happy.

-xxx-

Barb's audience estimate of 'maybe into double figures' turned out to be an underestimate: just over thirty people sat at tables or stood in the background as the country and western group played the final notes of 'Sweet Home Alabama', receiving generous applause and a few appreciative whistles as they placed their instruments at the rear and trooped off to the bar.

Barb's regular musicians, accompanied by Cassie and Jack, brought a variety of wind and stringed instruments with them as they assembled on stage against the hubbub of chatter from the crowd. They hushed when Barb turned up the stage lighting and walked up to the front microphone.

"Hi to all our regulars and a few new faces, I see!" she announced cheerily. "Welcome. Tonight during the interval, we're honoured to have two guests performing with us. Some of you know Jack O'Neill, who spends time up here with us in Northern Minnesota when he can. Welcome back, Jack!"

A mixture of cheers, applause and whistles greeted her announcement, before she continued, "And an extra special welcome to Jack's god-daughter, Miss Cassie Fraiser, who's singing with us for the first time, and I sincerely hope, not the last, tonight."

More applause, and a few appreciative male voices arose as Cassie, dressed in a white, sparkling slim-line evening dress stepped into the spotlight and smiled at the crowd.

"We're just doing four numbers now, each one a different kind of music. So settle down, and we'll start with an old jazz tune that's always been a favourite of mine. Let's go, guys!"

[ Chris Barber and Ottilie Patterson Careless Love ] v=fZQUdGiEK80

With Kurt leading on the trombone, Cassie's voice came over sharp and crystal clear. She had learned quickly from Barb last night how to balance the volume of her voice against the sound level of the music, and the crowd were soon slowly nodding and tapping their feet in time. As her voice rose from melodious to forceful in the last stanza and the final notes faded, loud applause broke out and continued for around half a minute. Cassie was beaming, and made to bow in thanks, but Barb touched her arm and said quietly in her ear, "Don't show them your assets yet!", causing her to laugh.

"Turn it down again, folks!" said Barb into the microphone. "Cassie will be back in action a little later. Next, Kurt's gonna sing one of my favourites from the 'sixties, while Jack and the rest of us attempt to keep up with him. Let's go, Kurt honey!"

[ Beatles I've Just Seen a Face ] v=ZBKguCMKjCA

After several of the older audience members had been singing along with the band, wild applause came once more as the song finished. Even the country and western band crowded into the doorway to witness the proceedings.

"Right, settle down, everyone. We're now doing a blues number, with Jack making his first public performance since nineteen hundred and frozen to death!" said Barb, smiling ingenuously at him. "So go easy on him, OK? Take it away, Jack!"

After a couple of moments to compose himself with the microphone adjusted to his seated position at the front, Jack nodded to the band and began to sing and play his new instrument, with Barb leading on her electric guitar.

[ Fleetwood Mac Man of the World ] v=-nMGJSHZIw4

Cassie stood to the side, swaying gently to the music, noticing how much Jack was putting his soul into the words, and sighed deeply as he wound down, joining in the applause. Then she squared her shoulders and prepared for her next big moment.

"OK, our final number this evening." Barb announced. "Cassie only leaned this song a few days ago, and I can tell you that you're in for a treat. Cassie? Jack?"

She strode to the front of the stage to stand beside Jack's chair, and after a moment's pause, nodded to him and they started together, with Barb adding the second guitar during the song.

[ Eva Cassidy Fields of Gold ] v=9UVjjcOUJLE

The crowd rose to its feet, cheering and shouting for more as they applauded. Cassie bowed and motioned for Jack to stand and join her, which he did.

-xxx-

They regrouped back in the bar, stacked the instruments in the corner and sat down to a round of drinks – "On the house!" – Kurt had insisted. Rob Furland and another audience member came over to them, and Cassie realised that she hadn't dedicated the songs to him as promised, but Rob insisted that her invitation to come and listen was more than sufficient.

"I thought you'd like this tonight." said Rob, handing her a brown envelope. "The email will still be going out tomorrow, so you'll have the files as well."

Cassie thanked him and opened the package to reveal some 8 by 10 prints on glossy photo paper. Everyone peered over and saw the views of the Tiger Moth at the airfield, with Cassie looking every bit the nineteen thirties' aviatrix, beaming out of the cockpit at the camera, flying goggles pushed up on her leather helmet and a black smudge across her face below the outline of the eyewear. Her favourite, though, was the one of Jack and herself side-by-side in front of the aircraft after they had got out, both giving thumbs-up gestures.

"I hope you'll accept this one too, Miss Fraiser." said the stranger, handing over another envelope. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Eugene Devereux, US Coast Guard. We routinely photograph all the traffic that we come across. We took that this afternoon, out over the coast."

Cassie smiled as she saw the high-definition image of the two of them greeting the helicopter, and held it for Jack to see. "How did you know where to find us tonight?", she asked.

"We know Rob's planes well, so I called him and asked who was flying Grandpa today." replied Eugene. "He told us."

He turned to Jack and said, "Good evening, Colonel O'Neill. Good to see you again, sir. Dad sends you his best, but he's not so mobile these days, otherwise he'd have come too."

"Back at ya, Eugene." Jack replied. "You wish him the best and tell him I'll make time to come over on my next trip up here. And you can tell him he'll have to start saluting again – the Air Force in its misguided wisdom made me a General."

The young officer's involuntary reaction was to straighten up, almost to parade ground attention, but Jack gestured for him to relax. "Cut the crap off-duty, Eugene. I remember when you were born!". Eugene blushed as everyone laughed.

-xxx-

Back at the cabin, Cassie was still on cloud nine as she said goodnight at her bedroom door. "This has been the best week of my life, Jack."

And she meant it. Jack sat back on the sofa and grinned at her as stroked his new guitar case. "Me too, kid. Me too. Best in a long, long while."

-xxx-


	3. Road Trip

(Warning: minor character death.)

Chapter 3: On the Road

Pete Shanahan saw the dark blue Toyota Land Cruiser draw up to the kerb outside Sam's house just as the early evening rain was starting in earnest. His momentary curiosity regarding where he'd seen it before was answered when the tall frame of General O'Neill appeared from the far side, and his heart sank. If he was coming to haul Sam off to that goddamned mountain again…..

He took a deep breath, called to his fiancée that she had a visitor, and opened the front door.

"General O'Neill!", he said warmly. "I've just called Sam. Come in out of the wet."

"Thanks, Shanahan." Jack replied quietly, his tone of voice causing Pete to think that it must be serious if he'd got his name right. He stepped into the hallway, shaking raindrops off his jacket onto the doormat.

Sam appeared through the lounge doorway and immediately straightened up when she saw her CO. "Sir! What's the problem? Do I need to leave now?" she asked, as if on cue.

"Relax, Carter!" he said softly and paused. "It's actually Cassie that I need to talk to. Is she available right now?" Before Sam could turn around and call out, Jack added "Don't panic her, please. I've got some bad news to deliver."

Sam just looked startled, and started to turn when Pete interjected "She in trouble at college, then?", earning him sharp glares from both. "What?" he cried with a shrug. "I'm just askin'."

Sam ushered him into the lounge and disappeared upstairs to Cassie's room. Jack waited patiently, slightly annoyed by Pete's hovering around, but politely refusing the offer of refreshment. Cassie went straight to him with a warm greeting and a hug as soon as she arrived, but instantly picked up on his melancholy. "Jack? What's up?" she asked.

Jack took a deep breath, and said quietly, "It's Kurt. Barb called me this afternoon. His condition suddenly worsened two weeks ago and he passed away peacefully last week."

Cassie's head slumped forward onto Jack's chest, and they held each other as warm tears slid down her cheeks. After a few moments, she looked up at him and asked in a small voice, "I know it was on the cards, they told me about it last time I went to see them. Is she going to be OK?"

Beside them, Sam shook her head at Pete to hold his silence for now.

"She'll pull through quickly enough, Cass." said Jack. "You know how strong she is." Cassie nodded her agreement and they moved apart, and she wiped her face on her sleeves.

"The funeral is two weeks on Saturday in their local church." Jack explained. "Thing is, Barb is asking if you would sing at the service, but only if you want to."

"Of course I will!" she replied, breaking into a sad smile. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

This last item of news was too much for the most inquisitive person present. "But you can't…. I mean, we didn't know you could sing!" cried Pete. "In front of people too! What's that about?"

Sam closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That's wonderful, Cass." she said sincerely, holding out her hand to gently squeeze her god-daughter's arm. "But you haven't told us much about Barb and Kurt. Are they college friends?"

Cassie shook her head, realising that she could hold nothing back after Jack's news. "Oh no, they're Jack's long-time buddies in Minnesota. I got to know them during my first time at the cabin last year, and they've really helped me so much to find my feet. Barb is just great – it'll be an honour to do something for her in return."

She turned back to Jack and asked, "How are we getting to the funeral? How many days should I take out from college?"

"I've arranged to use a private plane from Colorado, leaving early Friday, back by Sunday night." said Jack. "Barb wants us to stay over at The Cookhouse." He then hesitated, and turned to Sam. "Cass and Barb have gotten to know each other really well. Barb's also asked if you, as her godmother, would care to come with her. She says she understands if you don't, so no pressure."

Sam's natural surprise and hesitation at answering was overcome by her annoyance as soon as she heard Pete's exclamation. "We can't possibly do that, Sam! I got the tickets for that show in Denver."

"If you want me to, Cass, I certainly will." said Sam firmly. Her accompanying stare at him stunned her fiancé into resentful silence. Cassie nodded her thanks and agreement.

"Last thing, though," added Jack, "we'll have two more people coming with us. Lou Ferretti and Siler have known Kurt and Barb at least as long as I have. They're gutted too."

Jack took his leave some twenty minutes later, after talking primarily with Cassie. He had not failed to notice the storm brewing up for later between Carter and her dearly beloved, but he had learned not to allow himself to become embroiled in these situations any longer. Cassie was his only concern, now and for the foreseeable future.

-xxx-

A chill, early-morning breeze across Meadow Lake Airfield made itself felt as soon as Pete and Sam stepped from her car, collected their baggage from the trunk and walked the short distance across to the nearest hangar. Siler and Ferretti, standing in their sheltered position alongside the building, turned and greeted them.

"Hey Lou. Sly." Sam called as they approached. She turned and introduced her companion. "Pete Shanahan, meet Lou Ferretti and Sly Siler. And Sly, please call me Sam this trip, OK?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the sergeant grinned back.

"Cassie and Jack will be here in a few." said Lou. "They're just filing the flight plan and getting weather updates."

"Flight plan?" Pete enquired. "Don't we just get in and let the pilot do the rest?"

"Jack's flying us." replied Lou. "That's our plane over there, the blue and white Beechcraft Baron. Nice!"

"But, but it's too small!" Pete exclaimed. "Ah, you're joking, aren't you? That thing won't fly half way across the country. You can't get six people into it."

"No it isn't, no he isn't, yes it can, and yes, we can." said Sam patiently with a sigh. "Look, Pete, I know you're nervous about flying, and we've discussed this already. If you don't want to go, that's OK, but I _am_ going to support Cassie, and to take up a kind invitation to meet someone who means a great deal to her. We'll be back Sunday night. Go see the show in Denver, I won't mind."

Ferretti and Siler glanced at each other, feeling not only Pete's discomfort – no shame there, many people were wary of flying in light planes – but also Sam's reducing level of patience with her companion.

Pete's reply was curtailed as Jack and Cassie appeared at the far corner of the building, each carrying their flight bags. Jack's nod of the head signalled that they were going across to board the aircraft. Pete stood still, not quite knowing what to do next as the others walked away. Sam sighed, picking up her bag and declaring, "Come or stay, it's your choice. But if you're coming, don't start bitching once we're off. I mean it, Pete!"

Her firm tone seemed to galvanize him into a decision, and he followed her towards the plane, which still looked small even as they neared it. Jack had just opened a panel door in the nose and was taking everyone's bags to secure them inside the front fuselage.

"You can put your coats and small items behind the rear cabin seats. It'll warm up after takeoff when the aircon comes on." Jack explained. He turned and called to Cassie, "Cass, will you do the pre-flight external checks, please?"

"Sure, Jack." said Cassie, and set off on a slow walk around the plane peering at every fixture and fitting, moving the flight control surfaces up and down, removing the red canvas cover from the pitot head and checking that the tyres were fully inflated with no stones lodging in the treads.

Pete choked back a comment about Jack needing to do a _real_ inspection before he got in. "Can I ride up front with you?" he asked hopefully, as Jack ushered him towards the rear cabin door.

"Nope." replied Jack. "That's the co-pilot's seat. You and Carter take the rear cabin seats, please. You'll find it more comfortable facing the front if you've not flown in something small before." Pete climbed in reluctantly, followed by Sam. He was even more taken aback when Ferretti and Siler climbed in next and sat directly in front of them facing the rear. Jack closed the cabin door and waited as Cassie climbed through the forward entrance over to the pilot's seat on the left side. Finally, Jack entered and sat beside Cassie, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Seat belts fastened for takeoff and climb, please, everyone." Jack called out, as he and Cassie donned headsets. "I'll call out the checklist. Cass, ready?"

As Jack started to rattle off a list of tasks and checks for Cassie to follow, Pete's nervous curiosity could wait no longer. He turned to Sam and said quietly, "Cassie is the pilot? I mean, I thought it might be Lou or even you! Does O'Neill know what he's doing, or is she just along for a joy ride?"

"She got her student pilot qualification and she's been taking lessons for a private pilot's licence for nearly a year now, plus flying with the General when she could." Sam answered equally quietly. _'Lucky girl.'_ she thought. She remembered only too well how badly Pete had reacted when Cassie had proudly showed them the photos of her first flight in a biplane with Jack, with remarks about joyriding in a death trap with someone who ought to know better. Perhaps she should have talked with Pete more about Cassie's rapid character development and maturity after spending time away with Jack, but since he hadn't seemed much interested in anything she got up to that didn't conflict with his own plans, she had held back. She just knew that sooner or later he would question how much it had all cost, who was paying for it, and so forth.

Further conversation in the rear cabin was cut short as Cassie flicked on the switch for the stereo speakers, broadcasting her continuing rapid cross-talk with Jack to the entire cabin.

"Fuel?" Jack asked.

"One hundred fifty gallons." Cassie responded.

"Throttles forward, fuel pumps on." He observed her movements and followed up with "Engine start." When the healthy roar steadied, he added "One thousand RPM. Fuel pumps off."

"Door seal to inflate. Throttle back. Avionics master on. Altimeter setting 6874. Flaps up. Cross-feed on. Trims set?"

Cassie moved the control yoke and adjusted the two ribbed wheels behind, and replied "Trims set."

His instructions seemed relentless, and carried on. "Mixture full rich. Fuel pumps on. Props full forward. Magnetos check. Taxy lights on."

"OK, Cass. Let's roll." said Jack. "Over to you."

"One-seven whiskey, FLY, request clearance for rollout to hold for takeoff, runway one-five, then heading east." Cassie called out after switching the radio to 'transmit'.

"FLY, one-seven whiskey, cleared for taxy to hold for runway one-five." came the quickly-spoken response from the control tower.

With her right hand manipulating the throttle and manifold levers, Cassie notched up the power and turned the aircraft left in a steady roll to the end of the taxiway, looking carefully all around before they made another left onto the hold point before the tarmac takeoff strip. The nose dipped slightly as she braked to a stop, her eyes skimming over all the gauges.

The radio crackled to life again with the sharply-spoken message from the control tower, "FLY, one seven whiskey, hold for incoming aircraft on runway one five, you're cleared for takeoff once they've turned off the strip. Wind zero-nine-zero, six knots. Cloud base two thousand. Climb to one-five-zero-zero before turning east. Godspeed, Cassie."

"One seven whiskey, FLY, clear for takeoff on one five after incoming craft has landed and cleared. Climb to one-five-zero-zero before turning east." replied Cassie. "Thanks, Kate."

Behind her, both Ferretti and Siler had twisted around in their rear-facing seats to watch the takeoff, smiling knowingly to each other. In the back, craning her neck to see ahead past Lou, Sam's face was all eager anticipation at her first viewing of Cassie in action, while her companion's expression was more like that of a reluctant roller coaster novice on his first white-knuckle ride.

"Who's Kate?" asked the ever-inquisitive Pete.

"The wife of her flying instructor. She works in air traffic control." said Sam, watching a Cessna pass in front of them on its final landing manoeuvre. Their own plane moved slowly forward onto the runway and turned again, once more coming to a stop.

They watched Cassie moving the manifold pressure and throttle levers forward, with the engine noise rising to a satisfying, deep roar, before they were thrust suddenly back in their seats as she released the brakes. Pete was surprised by the force of acceleration, much more than he had expected a small plane to be capable of, and barely noticed when the rumbling sensation stopped as they left the ground.

"Gear up." said Jack, and Cassie confirmed the action after she had moved the lever and felt the 'clunk' as the undercarriage fully retracted.

Ferretti and Siler exchanged a high five and turned back to their fellow passengers, still smiling. Pete was beginning to breathe more easily now. The loud throbbing sensation from the engines disappeared as Cassie reduced the power slightly and synchronised the throttles.

Jack twisted around from the front seat and said over the cabin radio, "We're heading out east today towards Colby, Kansas on the first leg. There's some kind of delay at Denver, and there'll be a lot of commercial aircraft stacking, so we've been routed well away from them. Then we'll turn north-east and head to Chamberlain, South Dakota, where we'll land in about three hours or less. You'll be able to take a short break while we top up the fuel before we go on to our destination at Ely, Minnesota. I'll turn off the stereo now so you're not constantly interrupted by ATC messages. You can undo your seat belts now, if you want. There's hot coffee flasks in the bag behind your seat, Carter – help yourselves, but save some for the drivers, OK?"

-xxx-

"Don't you just love ATC messages!" exclaimed Lou after the plane had changed height and direction for the fourth time in the last hour, sipping at his coffee.

Siler laughed in reply. "Yeah, can't ignore 'em any more like the good ol' days, eh? Kurt was ace at pretending to be an SVA pilot who didn't speak much English."

Ferretti smiled and looked at Sam. "You're probably wondering how come we knew Kurt." he said. Seeing her nod, he continued, "Sly here rode shotgun on Kurt's Huey in 'Nam. Jack and I were in an OV-10 FAC that got shot up over Cambodia. We made it back to 'Nam but came down in the middle of nowhere. We were too low to jump, and Jack was pretty banged up in the crash. I broke my arm."

Seeing Pete's perplexed expression, Siler added, "A Huey was the standard helicopter in Vietnam for transport, evacuation and rescue missions. The OV-10 was a twin-engine prop plane used for Forward Air Control, stooging around over hostile areas and marking targets with smoke or rockets. We got a call to pick them up and found the OV-10 easily enough, but it all went FUBAR after we landed when some distant artillery unit decided that the smoke on the horizon was 'probable hostiles'. Their first salvo hit our Huey and killed two crew. I got Kurt out and we linked up with Lou and Jack. We walked and hid for two days before they picked us up."

"What Sly ain't telling you is how he was the main reason we got back at all." Lou interjected. "He carried Kurt most of the time while Jack and I sort of kept each other going. He made sure we didn't all get separated."

Siler made an embarrassed smile. "So we've known Barb and Kurt for over thirty years. A few times we've visited them at the same time as General O'Neill, but also by ourselves. I'm going to miss him."

"Me too." sighed Ferretti. "Me too."

Their reverie was interrupted by Cassie's announcement over the cabin stereo. "Landing in ten minutes. Fasten your seat belts, please." They complied and looked through the windows to see the wide, sweeping curves of the Missouri River that lie below the approach to Chamberlain.

Pete's nervous tension rose as the 'clunk' of the undercarriage going down marked the sight of the ground getting nearer, but fell again once they had rolled to a stop on the apron. He welcomed the fresh air that poured into the cabin as the doors opened. Jack, Ferretti and Siler unashamedly exited the plane first and walked quickly across to the nearby building, almost racing each other on the way.

"He always does that." observed Cassie as she watched Jack disappearing.

"It's an 'old guy' thing." Pete replied. "Especially if they're on blood pressure tablets. When you've gotta go, and all that. Good job I got twenty years yet, eh, Sam?" _'He shoots, he scores!'_ he thought to himself, smiling.

Sam ignored him and turned her attention to Cassie, who was speaking to her.

"Would you take the coffee flasks over to the office and ask for refills, please, Sam? Jack will pay. I'm going to get Julio over there to top off the gas for us. Jack's got an account here so he usually gets it done at this stop-over." She turned and waved, shouting, "Hi, Julio!", eliciting a cheery wave in return.

Airborne again some forty-five minutes later with Cassie once again at the controls, Jack turned around and announced, "We've been advised that there's a weather front moving in from the north-west, and we'll hit the edge of it in about an hour's time, before we get to Ely. I'm afraid it's going to get bumpy for the final half hour or so, but there's nothing we can do about that. Just make sure that everything in the back is secure, and be ready to buckle up."

"So will you be taking over the flying then?" asked Pete, suddenly nervous again.

Jack eyed him with a hint of displeasure. "It's nothing Cassie hasn't handled before." he said calmly, and turned around to face the front again.

In the event, Pete didn't notice their jolting progress during the final twenty-five minutes before landing, his face cold and clammy, ears ringing, a sick-bag never far from reach and his only thoughts on survival. He was vaguely aware of Lou's shout of "Whoo-hoo! Way to go, Cassie!" as they slowed down on Ely runway three-zero. "Great side-slip on approach. That remind you of our OV-10 days, Jack?"

Pete gulped in the cold, fresh air after exiting the aircraft. Surprisingly, it was Jack who spoke gently to him. "You'll start to feel better after a few minutes, Shanahan. It can hit a lot of people like that. Took me years to stop it happening. There's no need to rush anywhere for a while. Here, give me that." He extended his hand and took the sealed sick-bag from Pete's tight grasp and carried it over to a nearby garbage dumpster.

Cassie was thanking the local official as he, Lou and Siler pushed their plane backwards into the adjacent hangar. Their baggage was piled by the side of the door where Pete stood, breathing more easily now, just as Jack had forecast. "Sunday morning, then?" the man asked.

"Yes, please." replied Cassie. "About ten o'clock."

Jack was speaking into his cell phone as he and Sam approached the group. He finished the call and said to the group, "As you know, Cassie and I are staying over with Barb this weekend. I booked you two rooms at The Adventure Inn in Ely. They're sending transport to pick you up in about twenty or thirty minutes. It's a nice place, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby. OK?"

After nods of agreement, he continued, "Tomorrow morning, someone will call for you at around ten-thirty to take you to the church, and from there to the Crematorium and afterwards, the Wake at Kurt's Cookhouse. That will go on for some time, but you'll get rides back to Ely tomorrow evening. We'll all meet back here Sunday morning at ten hundred."

He looked around to see a Jeep Cherokee approaching, and waved to the driver. "That's us, Cass!" he said, and the two of them walked towards it with bags slung over their shoulders.

Watching them depart, Lou said, "You know, Sam, she's going to be even more kick-ass than you one day."

"Damn right!" said Sam, smiling.

-xxx-


	4. Requiem

Chapter 4: Requiem

( _Author's note: if you're coming straight in here to this story for the first time, please read the 'Essential Foreword' at the beginning of Chapter 1 before you start._ )

Sam Carter felt on edge, but knew deep down that there was no real reason to be so. She told herself that it was wholly rational to be nervous in extreme situations, such as before launching oneself into a heated battle whose outcome was uncertain, with a fair possibility that on a personal level, none of it would matter by the end. An adrenaline rush at the last minute was the usual antidote, together with the overwhelming determination to protect and support the friends around you. A defence mechanism that brought on a state of calm fury that gave an edge over the enemy, and the momentum to see it through day after day, month after month.

The irrational alternative however, was her feeling of dread before entering church services where a family member or dear friend was on their final journey through the lives of those around them. But this occasion was different: she didn't know Jack's friends, but still the nerves were there. She was afraid for Cassie, who had lost her second mother Janet while still a less-than-mature teenager not so very long ago. Despite her god-daughter's obvious strides to adulthood in the last year under Jack's influence, she still saw Cassie in her mind's eye as a sometimes brash, occasionally insecure girl who'd been dealt more than her fair share of heartache. Yesterday had been the first time that she had seen Cassie's piloting skills at first hand, not just in control of the aircraft but confidently and competently flying it. Awesome, in fact.

But singing alone in front of a collection of mourning people who needed consolation and comfort? That was something Sam could not imagine herself ever having the confidence or ability to do. Could Cassie really do it, or would she falter? Irrational fear indeed.

The church was bigger than many of those found in rural communities, but was nevertheless crowded for Kurt Hamer's funeral. After the priest's introduction and opening prayers, the presence of so many people provided a warmth that had been lacking outside on this somewhat chill, late summer's day.

Sam could just see across to Jack, Lou and Sly in the third row on the right, behind Kurt's immediate family members. She and Pete were situated towards the rear on the left side, out of deference to those mourners who had known Kurt well. She could just see Cassie at the end of the second row, and wondered again how nervous she might be right at this moment. As the priest raised his arm in her direction and smiled, Sam was glad to see her moving confidently to stand in front of the choir and turn to face the congregation, glancing towards Jack before looking up and smiling briefly back at him.

"At the request of Barbara Hamer and other family members, Miss Cassandra Fraiser will now lead the singing of _'Amazing Grace'_." said the priest. "Please feel free to join in when you hear the choir start after the first verse." After a few coughs and some shuffling throughout the church, silence fell and there was a short pause before Cassie's clear, pure, voice arose.

[Judy Collins Amazing Grace] v=AtteRD5bBNQ

After only a few moments, Sam's breath caught in her throat at the wave of emotion running through those around her, only to be amplified when the choir joined in at the end of the first verse. She could only mouth the words instead of singing out loud with others in the congregation, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Pete glanced at her in concern, but she ignored him. She hadn't felt this emotional since Janet's funeral, and marvelled at Cassie's poise and dignity.

The rest of the service passed in a blur until they all started to file out of the church. She saw Cassie passing down the aisle, smiling as she looped her arm in Jack's, with Lou and Sly just behind them. As her own turn to follow the procession out arrived, Sam hoped to be able to add her complements to the ones Cassie had been receiving from her colleagues, but the crowd was milling around. The Jameson's, who had brought them to the church from the hotel, were indicating that they should get back to their car as quickly as possible for the ride to the crematorium.

-xxx-

The second service was less ceremonial than the first one, the room being smaller and more brightly lit, and with sharper acoustics. After the priest had led the initial prayers, members of Kurt and Barb's families stood up to narrate their genuine sorrow and respect for the man. To Sam's surprise, the last to speak was Siler, who looked nervous until the moment he started, when he relaxed slightly and looked around.

"I met Kurt thirty-five years ago during a monsoon at Khe Sanh airfield, Vietnam. Like most of the rest of the guys with us, we were all seventeen to eighteen years old. Most of us had hardly ever crossed a state boundary before, let alone half the world. We'd been _volunteered_ for helicopter duty. _'That's a good thing'_ , they'd said. _'Much safer than being a grunt, wading through swamps and getting shot at.'_ "

A quiet, ironic laugh passed around some of the older people in the room.

"When we got assigned to the same chopper – Kurt as pilot, myself as a gunner, along with Tiny and Alfredo, the first thing Kurt said when we bunked down together that evening was _'Let's get this straight. There ain't nothing more important than looking after the people we're carrying or rescuing, OK? And there also ain't nothing more important than looking out for each other, either. Are you with me?'_ And that's how Kurt was. A natural leader and loyal to his friends."

"The two of us stayed even stronger buddies after Tiny and Alfredo were killed during an operation to rescue Jack O'Neill and Lou Ferretti over there." Siler gestured with his arm in the direction of his two colleagues. "Nothing was more important to me than getting Kurt back safely over those two days in the jungle. Jack and Lou made sure we all stayed in touch, especially after the war ended."

"In seventy-six, Jack invited the three of us to the cabin he'd inherited in these parts. One Saturday night, we went into town to a dance but the band hadn't turned up. Jack's former girlfriend did just as good a job as the US Air Force and _recruited_ the four of us to play the music – didn't you, Barb?" said Siler, smiling in her direction. Barb nodded back at him.

"That's how the AF Blues Band began. Kurt must have played extra good that night, 'cos Barb married him six weeks later." Barb's eyes were still red with tears, but she looked up and smiled at Sly in gratitude.

"We've had the good fortune to visit and play music and just relax with them over the years. I'm sure I speak for Jack and Lou as well, when I say that our lives have been the better for knowing Kurt and Barb."

Siler's voice was getting emotional too, and his eyes were misting up. He smiled at Barb again, and slowly walked back to his seat.

There was a pause before the priest started to speak again: he too had been moved by Siler's story.

"Now, this is the part where we spare a few moments to think in silence about our dear, departed friend. Usually, we play a well-loved music track over the sound system. However, today I'm once more very pleased to invite Miss Fraiser to come out front. She's going to perform Kurt's all-time favourite song, accompanied this time by General Jack O'Neill on the guitar. Cassie? Jack?"

Someone carried an acoustic guitar and a chair from the side of the room as the two made their way to the front. Jack sat down and quickly checked that the guitar was in tune before he looked up at Cassie and nodded. She turned to face the assembly and Jack started to play.

[Eva Cassidy Time After Time] v=KWvPOJOYqGA

If anything, Cassie's voice sounded even better in this room than in the church. The notes and words were crisp and clear, and the harmony and emotion that she and Jack generated was palpable. Sam sat back almost in shock, her mouth slightly agape.

The song drew to an end, and as the duo made their way back, Barb rose from her seat and stepped forward to hug them both, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, thank you so much." she said earnestly. "I couldn't have wished for anything better."

"No, thank you for asking us to do it." Cassie replied, with Jack just nodding his agreement. "It was an honour."

Sam's epiphany was upon her. _'This is the family I'm leaving behind.'_ she thought. _'I don't want to.'_

-xxx-


	5. Celebration

Chapter 5: Celebration

( _Author's note: if you're coming straight in here to this story for the first time, please read the 'Essential Foreword' at the beginning of Chapter 1 before you start. You may even want to turn up the volume sufficiently to annoy the neighbours in this chapter._ )

As happens so often at Wakes, the groups of families and friends that had stuck together almost exclusively for the first hour or so, began at last to mingle with the other guests. As soon as Pete let slip to the first family group that his fiancé was her godmother, Sam found herself the centre of attention, somewhat embarrassed by her lack of detailed knowledge about Cassie's musical abilities. She could only answer questions in vague terms about what she liked, how long she had been singing in public and which other songs she and Jack might perform together.

The relief when Cassie herself approached and joined her group was palpable, but the feeling was short-lived as Pete exclaimed, before anyone could say anything, "Hey, Cassie! Great voice! You and Jack could perform at our wedding! What do you say?"

Sam briefly closed her eyes, a deep red blush rapidly appearing over her head and neck, while Cassie's sudden stare resembled that of a startled cat faced with an intruder in its home. All she could utter was, "Well, um, er…"

"I don't think so, Pete." said Sam immediately. "You know your mother's timetable won't allow for any more variations. I'm sorry, Cass." _'And I can't face another of her goddamn wedding spreadsheet updates with minute by minute choreography.'_ she added mentally, then wondering whether she had spoken that out loud.

"That's all right!" Cassie replied hastily, trying not to seem relieved at avoiding the prospect. "I'm sure there'll be other times." Pete looked rather taken aback but said nothing further after catching Sam's expression. His wounded look conveyed his hurt feelings though.

Barb, standing in another group nearby, looked away and drew Jack to one side, pulling him down slightly so that she could talk quietly to him. "Jack, why am I watching a train wreck in progress over there? Don't look at me like that, you know what I'm talking about."

"None of my business." he replied curtly. "Except where it affects Cassie, of course, and I've made sure that she understands that she has me to call on at all times, for any reason."

"I know that, Jack." said Barb. "But I kind of get the impression that you ain't telling me the half. I've watched Cassie grow up mighty quickly since you first brought her here, but she's still got something eating her up inside. I think I see what it is now. Thank God she's got you and her godmother looking out for her." She hugged him briefly and turned back to the others.

A while later, Cassie approached Barb, who was standing with Ferretti, Siler and several of the regular Cookhouse musicians. Trailing behind Cassie were Eugene Devereux and two young men whom Barb knew to be some of the crew of his Coast Guard helicopter. They had become regulars at the Cookhouse ever since Cassie first appeared.

"Barb," said Cassie, linking her arm through the older woman's, "Is it OK if we show a video on the screen in the big room? The guys have got a film of my 'rescue' from Lake Superior last time I was here, and I haven't seen it yet."

"Sure!" said Barb enthusiastically, so glad that the young woman wasn't treading on eggshells around her, unlike so many others present were still tending to. "Give the disc to Ellie and ask her to put it in the machine." She watched Cassie and her niece Ellie embrace warmly as they met and heard Ellie's laughing comment of 'So this is the great slam, dunk, then?'

Barb turned to the people sitting around the dining room tables and called their attention.

"Hey, everyone!" The talk around the room diminished, and she continued, "We're going to watch Cassie's day out with the Coast Guard." The room began to fill as more people entered from the bar and stood at the back.

The screen sprang to life a few moments later and the slightly wordy, official-looking title 'Coast Guard Air-Sea Rescue Training Exercise' appeared. A hand-held camera showed the view from the wheel house of a fast patrol launch in a slightly choppy, grey-green sea, with regular plumes of spray washing up over the bow as it lunged through the waves, gradually disappearing as it came to a stop. Someone wearing a bright orange survival suit and life vest went to sit on the edge of the starboard deck where the handrail had been removed, feet dangling over the side. Only when a crew member had assisted with fitting goggles and pulled the hood over the head of the suited figure, did a close-up shot reveal Cassie's identity as she turned to the camera, smiling and raising her hand in a cheery wave.

"Hey, Cass, aren't people supposed to look nervous before going overboard?" Lou Ferretti called out.

"I could swim before I was two years old." replied Cassie. "No big deal."

The audience watched in fascination as a crew member in a black wet-suit and flippers, closely followed by Cassie, plunged into water and the boat slowly backed off. The swimmer stayed a few yards away from Cassie as they both trod water. The camera then panned around to reveal the rescue helicopter cautiously approaching and circling around the two figures in the water, before it slowed to hover above them. Gradually a man was lowered on a line down to Cassie, and the two of them bobbed up and down in the swell as he attached a harness to her. Fine spray whipped up by the helicopter's downdraught flew in all directions.

Shortly they started their ascent on the wire and as they got higher, the view switched to another camera on board the helicopter. Finally, Cassie was helped into the cabin, followed by her rescuer. She smiled at the camera again and gave the man an exaggerated hug, yelling "My hero!" above the noise of the engine and rotor, much to his amusement.

The final views were of the helicopter landing back on shore, followed by a group shot of Cassie with Eugene and his crew in front of the machine, laughing at some unheard joke.

Applause rose from the guests as the screen faded, and Cassie grinned shyly. Sam approached her wearing a wide smile, and said "I'm so proud of you, Cass."

"Thanks, Sam." she cheerfully replied. "It was a lot of fun."

-xxx-

To see Siler's comforting arm around Barb's shoulders and hers in turn around his waist as they quietly conversed gave Sam a warm feeling of appreciation for her colleague and friend. Barb's grief from the morning ceremonies was beginning to recede, although she was still visibly red-eyed. She seemed so close with Lou, Sly and Jack, whose connections and long history with Kurt had only been revealed to her yesterday on board the plane.

Cassie too, was being treated like a near-relative of the Hamer family. In fact, it struck Sam fully for the first time just how much Cassie and Jack had coalesced into a real father-daughter relationship in the last year. Cassie had of course told her about meeting Jack's musician friends but had not given any details of her own singing accomplishments. The duet between the two of them earlier at the service had been electrifying, as had Cassie's solo singing in the church. Then too, Siler's mention of the four of them playing together in, what did he call it, 'The AF Blues Band' had been yet another surprise. Apart from Jack's liking of opera and certain musicals, she had known nothing of their musical abilities and interests and was pretty sure that few others in The Mountain did either. She would quiz Walter about it when they got back to work – he knew everything.

Barb saw Sam and Pete sitting alone at a table and came over. "Hi! I'm so glad you could come today. Cassie's talked about you several times on her visits with Jack. I really wanted to meet you." Without hesitation, she turned to Pete and asked, "Could I ask you to get me a drink from the bar over there – Pete, isn't it? They know what I'm having. Oh, and by the way, that tall guy at the bar is Hubert. He's a policeman like you. Why not indulge in a little cop talk while Samantha and I indulge in some girl-time together?" Her smile and polite but no-nonsense manner, born of years in charge of the family business, had the desired effect.

She then turned to Sam and continued. "We've all really taken to Cassie since Jack started bringing her here. Poor kid, losing her family twice like that. But she's living her life to the full now, thanks to you and Jack. She and my niece get on so well, despite Ellie being a few years older."

"Yes, Cassie told me that she looks up to her." replied Sam. "Ellie's really attractive, isn't she? I'm sure that Cassie's made more efforts to look smart because of that."

"The two of them share great musical talents and, what should I call it? A kind of need to get into high-activity stuff. Cassie loves Ellie's ability to play different instruments and Ellie loves how Cassie can launch into any song after only hearing it once or twice. She's also envious of Cassie's flying skills but knows that she couldn't do that herself. Cassie's little adventure on film today is her putting down a marker to Ellie and Jack that she wants to join them on the 'big trip' that Jack and Kurt talked about these last twenty years."

On seeing Sam's look of puzzlement, she continued, "He hasn't mentioned it, obviously. Kurt and Jack were always going on about deep sea sailing. Ellie used to baby-sit Charlie sometimes when Jack and Sara came up this way. Jack and Kurt took Charlie and Ellie on a couple of trips on Lake Superior on a friend's yacht, but Sara and Ellie's folks weren't happy and that put a stop to it. The kids loved it, though. Jack went quiet on the plan for a long time after Charlie died, but Ellie was kinda determined, and took up sailing again as soon as she turned eighteen. She's told us that she's going on the trip come what may, with or without any potential partner's blessing."

"When Kurt knew that he didn't have long, he got Jack to swear to do what they'd planned all this time, as soon as he retires. Jack's been trying to get the Air Force to let him go for some time, but they've just pushed him up the ladder instead. But when he does leave, he and Rob Furland and his friends, not to mention our girls, will be sailing across the Pacific to the Polynesian Islands. They say it'll probably take three to four months, maybe longer as they plan to go on to different islands. Rob's going to fund it all."

Sam looked stunned. "Wow!" was the only expression she could come up with to accompany her instant feeling of envy. "Rob's the guy who lets Jack and Cassie fly his planes, right? She's talked about him a little." It was also a shock to learn that Jack had been looking to retire, and she suddenly realised what he might have meant with his enigmatic 'I wouldn't be here' reply during their disastrous conversation a few months ago.

Her musings came to an end as Pete returned with drinks, and she heard Barb saying to her friends, "Jack, guys, I've cried a lot these last few weeks, but I'm done with that for now. Go make some noise, please! For me and Kurt."

One of the other musicians standing with them said, "Barb, the base amp lead ain't fixed yet, and I can't find Ernie to get it working."

"No problem!" Siler said quickly. "I can do that – it shouldn't take more than a few."

Sam found herself speaking before she even realised it. "Mrs Hamer, we don't call him 'Sparky' for nothing at work. I can do that right now." She reached into her handbag and with a broad grin, brandished a well-worn Multi-Tool. Pete's look of surprise was perhaps to be expected.

Barb's face broke into an answering grin for the first time. "Sparky, eh? You sure you don't mind, Samantha?"

"Carter can fix anything!" said Jack. "Can't she, Sparky? We can do something _acoustic_ in the meantime."

Siler suspected that no-one was going to address him as 'Sly' ever again. He sighed as they and some of the Cookhouse regulars made their way to the collection of instruments on the small stage, while Sam hunkered down at the rear, not seeming to mind that her smart black business suit was already picking up dust marks off the floor. She soon determined that the cable leading into a connector plug was coming loose and set to work on it. She ignored the movements on the stage in front of her as she worked, but looked up in surprise as the music started.

Django Reinhardt: I'll See You in My Dreams [v=0TmiDC_a6ss]

Jack was playing lead guitar, Lou on rhythm and Sparky was manipulating a double bass, and boy, were they good! Sam found herself nodding to the tune, one of her father's favourites. As the music finished and some of the crowd applauded, she re-attached the repaired connector to the amplifier and switched it on. A click and a momentary hum from the speaker later, she acknowledged Siler's enquiring expression with a 'thumbs up' gesture and stood to make her way back to her companion.

The rest of the regular band joined her three colleagues on stage. Sam couldn't quite make out what the group was saying to each other, as seemingly random notes and squeaks emanated from the instruments as they tuned up.

Lou, standing front and centre by a microphone, started his introduction. "Folks, you already heard in the service how much Kurt meant to us all, and how long most of us up here have been playing music with him. We've all talked in the last two weeks how best to honour him, and we've agreed with Barb that whatever he liked will be on the menu tonight, including some requests from folks who have been regulars here. You might think that some of it is too lively or too fast for a Wake, but that's the way it is."

He waited as gentle applause rippled round the room before adding, "There's room for dancing too if you're in the mood." He looked around until he spied Ellie talking to Barb and Cassie. "Ellie! Get your… sweet self up here - it's workout time! And Cassie, don't go away now!" Turning back to the audience, he continued "We're going to start with something that the original AF Blues Band – that's Kurt, Sly, Jack and me – performed the first time we ever came to Minnesota together, and we reckon it's the one that made Barb notice something special in Kurt. I'm warning you though, that we may struggle to hit the high notes – or even the right notes - like we used to!"

He stepped back and nodded to his fellow musicians. Silence reigned momentarily until Jack and Lou began the opening chords. Siler then burst into activity on the bass guitar, with Ellie's lively drum accompaniment.

Status Quo: Rave On [v=QYVJ8ttbtIY]

Pete knew that it would be a waste of time to talk to Sam at the moment, as she sat staring in amazement at her three friends' animated performance as they belted out some really good – and loud – rock'n'roll. That was all right though, as his own attention was on Ellie in dynamic action on drums, wearing professional-looking earphones and microphone. Having shed her black suit jacket, her white blouse was highlighted by a spotlight and her blond ponytail flicked around as she played and sang.

A crowd gathered on the dance floor, a couple with small children lofted onto their shoulders as they moved to the music. As it ended, applause broke out but few moved away.

Within a few moments and after a brief exchange between the musicians, some raucous introductory notes from Sly's bass guitar signalled that something even louder was taking shape.

Status Quo: Movin' On [v=cHb1IS3amIw]

The crowd, apart from those few who retreated to another room to get away from the noise, wasn't disappointed. Jack, Lou and Sly threw themselves into their act, seemingly shedding years and probably pounds in the process. Once again, the standing audience showed their appreciation.

Lou looked into the crowd and nodded at Cassie, calling her onto the stage. As most of the regular Cookhouse musicians took up their instruments, his introduction was short and pithy. "For those of you who think that Cassie's numbers are all sweet and folksy, prepare to be educated!" Cassie picked up the microphone and waited while the whole band launched into the number.

Laura Brannigan: Gloria [v=ZXx0pWpszKg]

Her voice cut into the crescendo of sound loud and clear, and as she had demonstrated regularly to Cookhouse audiences, she made the song her own and not just a half-competent tribute to a great singer.

The audience applauded and Cassie waved as she left the stage, where she was approached by a handful of teenagers, and spent time talking to them for a while until the next number started up.

"Cassie's got a fan club!" Pete said to Sam, but her response was muted as she was still having difficulty taking in all the new things her friends were doing. As far as she could remember, no-one at work had ever mentioned this side of their activities nor their obvious abilities.

Lou's voice interrupted her musings. "We're slowing things down now, people, for another of Kurt's favourites. Jack, it's your turn! Try not to nuke the sound system this time, OK?" Jack's reply was probably unprintable, but was quiet enough to avoid offense.

Several of the regulars around the room started cheering, whistling and applauding as Jack's lead intro began and the spotlight settled on him.

Gary Moore: Parisienne Walkways [v=98eIW6CN62k]

His subdued style of singing was just right for the number, but his guitar solos dominated everything, the exaggerated long notes drawing more cheers from the audience each time they flooded the hall. Sam glanced over at Cassie during his performance and noted her starstruck expression and excitement. When the final applause had died away, Cassie turned to her and exclaimed "You'll never know how much I've been waiting to hear these guys playing together! Just…. Awesome!" Sam could appreciate exactly how she felt.

After a good deal of movement on stage, electric instruments were exchanged for acoustic, and Ellie reappeared with a cello, sitting at the front beside Jack. When all the shuffling had subsided, he simply announced "This is how we all feel about you, Kurt."

David Gilmour: Wish You Were Here Live Unplugged [v=3j8mr-gcgoI]

His first few notes prompted an enthusiastic response from the crowd, but they soon settled and a wave of raw emotion seemed to permeate the room, with not a few tears shed by those close to Kurt and Barb.

The end of the song signalled a break as the musicians drifted away from the stage. Conversations resumed as staff brought out plates of sandwiches and delicacies to the tables, and offered guests glasses of champagne or fruit juices. Cassie reappeared at Sam's table, pulling a slightly reluctant Eugene Devereux along behind her.

"Sam, this is Eugene! You saw him and his helicopter in the film earlier." Eugene obligingly but nervously shook hands with Sam and Pete.

Cassie continued without hesitation, "The guys want to know if I'd like to do a parachute jump with them next month. Jack says it's OK with him as long as you agree! Can I, huh? Please?"

Momentarily taken aback, Sam then smiled and replied, "Sure, but on one condition." Cassie's eyebrows rose in anticipation and she added, "I get to come too!"

Simultaneously, Cassie whooped and hugged Sam, while Pete's surprised, angry exclamation of "Sam, you can't! The wedding!" went practically unheeded.

Sam looked at him as though his objections didn't matter. And she recognised that for the first time, truly, they didn't.

-xxx-


End file.
